Therapeutic device



May 26, 1942. F. H. PE TTIT 2,284,445

THERAPEUTIC DEVICE Filed July 27, 1940 Z Sheets-Sheet 1 mvEN'roi? ATTORNEYS y 1942. F. H. PETTIT 2,284,445

THERAPEUTIC DEVICE Filed July 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented May 26, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to therapeutic devices of the exercising type, and its general object is to provide a device for treating a patient by vibration, the device being in the form of a table having a tiltable top adjustable to various angles, from a normal horizontal position to inclined positions, for supporting a patient accordingly, while being acted upon by vibrating means, therefore it will be seen that my device can be used to increase circulation or relieve stasis in the organs and vessels of the body, including constipation, as well as to relieve other ailments, and it also has a soothing and certain psychological efiect, to bring about a normal healthy condition of the patient.

A further object is to provide a therapeutic device in the form of a table having an upholstered top for the comfort of the patient, with the vibrating means extending through the top for engagement with the patient, and the top includes means to enable the patient to be retained on the table when the top is tilted.

. A still further object is to provide a therapeutic device including vibrating means that is adjustable to vary the throw thereof.

Another object is to provide a therapeutic device that can be readily adjusted and controlled by the operator from one end of the table while the device is in use, and the device is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely efficient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the device which forms the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional viewillustrating the vibrating means and the mechanism thereof.

Figure 4 is a rear end view.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken approximately on line 55 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the latching means for holding the table top in adjusted positions.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it will be noted that the top I of the table is padded by upholstering material 2 and secured to the underside of the top between its ends and at the sides thereof are bearing brackets 3 having mounted therein studs extending inwardly from and fixed to the upper apex ends of a pair of parallel inverted V-shaped leg members 4 and 4' respectively, having floor engaging strips 5 fixed to the lower ends thereof to provide longitudinally extending runners, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 1. The leg members are connected together by transverse cross members 6, there being a cross member 6 between each of the parallel limbs of the leg members, and the leg members are provided with brace members I disposed in converging relation from substantially midway the height of the limbs to the cross members 6, as shown in Figure l.

By the above construction, it will be obvious that the top is mounted for tilting movement on the leg members and is held in its normal horizontal position of Figure 1 by a pair of legs 3 disposed adjacent the foot end of the top I and secured thereto by hinge members 9 for movement under the top. The legs 8 are suitably braced, and the top is held in various tilted positions by latching means which includes a rod l0 having one end pivotally connected to the head end of the top, the rod being provided with substantially hook shaped notches ll, along the length thereof for receiving either one of the latch tongues l2 secured to the cross members 6 between the brace members I, as clearly shown in Figures 4 and 6. In order that the latching means can be operated from the foot of the table, I provide a flexible element such as a chain l3 having one end connected to the lower end of the rod [0 and the handle [4 is connected to the opposite end of the chain, which is threaded through an eye l5 secured to a cross strip I6 that has the hinge members 9 fixed thereto, as clearly shown in Figure 1.

The table top is preferably provided with feet receiving recesses H at the foot end thereof to enable the patient to be retained on the table when the top is tilted. The top adjacent to its head end is provided with lateral recesses I8 for the arms of the patient and disposed between the recesses 18 is a longitudinally extending slot IQ for receiving the nose of a patient to allow free breathing when lying face down on the top, while a circular opening 20 is provided in the top forwardly of the center thereof, for a purpose which will be presently described.

The vibrating means includes a frame which in the form shown is made up of a pair of angle iron members 2| having their upper ends bolted or otherwise secured to the under surface of a reinforcing member 22 that has an opening therein registering with the circular opening 20, as clearly shown in Figure 3. The members 2| are suspended from the reinforcing member 22 and include downwardly converging portions 23 joined at their lower ends by a horizontal portion 24, and the portions 23 of each member are not only disposed in converging relation with respect to each other, but the members are likewise directed toward each other in converging relation, as clearly shown in Figure 4.

Disposed between the horizontal portions 24 of the members 2| is a cylindrical housing 25 having an annular flange 26 extending outwardly therefrom and bolted or otherwise secured to the horizontal portions, as best shown in Figure 3. The upper end of the housing 25 is open, and mounted therein is a shaft 2" having an enlarged or headed inner portion 28 shaped at the ends thereof to provide bearing races, and the lower race is seated on balls 29 in the bottom of the housing 25, while the upper race receives balls 30 that are held thereon by a cap nut 3| through which extends the shaft 2'1, and the cap nut is threaded within the housing, as well as provided with an abutment flange at the upper end thereof, for engagement with the top of the housing, as best shown in Figure 3.

Fixed to the extending end of the shaft 21 by a set screw, in the form shown, is the hub 32 of a grooved pulley 33 that has eccentrically mounted on the upper surface thereof a cup member 33 provided with diametrically opposed slotted lugs 35 receiving screw bolts 35 threaded within the pulley 33 for adjustably securing the cup member 34 to the pulley, as will be apparent.

Mounted within the cup member is the spherical shaped lower end 31 of a stem 38, the end 31 being relatively small and bearing against the same is the disk head 39 of a bolt All that is threaded through the wall of the cup member 34 and locked in position by a nut as shown, it being obvious that the bolt is for the purpose of compensating for wear, of the ball shaped lower end 31. Secured to and bridging the angle iron members 2| of the frame is a platform 4| having a collar 42 formed centrally thereon and through which passes the stem 38, the stem having a relatively large ball or spherical member 43 formed on or otherwise secured thereto and mounted within the collar 42 which is provided with a rounded seat 45 for the ball 43 and the ball is held on the seat 44 by a cup like nut 45 threaded within the collar and providing a receptacle for receiving lubricant for the ball 43, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 3. The upper end of the stem 38 extends through the opening and fixed to or removably mounted on the upper end by a socket member 46 is an upholstering disk member 41 of a diameter considerably less than the outwardly flared portion of the opening 20, so that the disk member will have ample room for vibrating movement within and above the opening, as will be apparent upon inspection of Figure 3.

The movement of the disk member is brought about through the medium of mechanism set forth and which is operated by a motor 48 having a grooved pulley 49 on the armature shaft thereof, and trained about the pulleys 33 and 49 is a belt 50. The motor is fixed to a support 5| that is secured to and extends forwardly from the flange 26 and braced from the frame by an upright 52, as clearly shown in Figure 3. A suitable switch is of course provided for controlling the motor, and the switch is disposed at or adjacent the foot end of the table top in convenient reach of the operator who preferably stands at the foot end of the top for moving the latter to the desired positions.

A suitable casing may be provided for the mechanism of the vibrating means and the easing will be detachably secured to the underside of the table top, as will be apparent.

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawings, it is believed that the use of my device will be, obvious, but it might be mentioned that a patient reclines on the top either on the back or stomach, or in a sitting position, or in any position for the disk member 4'? to act upon the desired part of the body to cause vibration thereof, and thereby bring about the beneficial results previously indicated.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A. therapeutic device comprising a table including an upholstered top mounted for tiltable movement and for receiving a patient thereon to be treated, means for holding the top in a horizontal plane and at various angles with respect to said plane, a frame secured to and depending from the top, a cylindrical housing fixed to the lower end of the frame, a shaft mounted in bearings in the housing and rising therefrom, a motordriven belt receiving pulley fixed to the upper endof the shaft, a cup member carried by. the pulley, slotted lugs formed on the cup member, means extending through the slots for eccentrically securing the cup member to the pulley for adjustment thereon, a stem having a spherical lower end mounted in the cup member, adjustable means engageable with the spherical lower end, an upholstered disk member secured to the upper end of the stem for disposal through the table top for engagement with a patient, a platform bridging the frame member, a collar formed on the platform, a spherical member fixed to the stem between its ends and movably mounted within the collar to cause vibratory movement of the disk member upon rotation of the pulley, and a cup like nut threaded in the collar for holding said spherical member within the collar andproviding receptacle for receiving lubricant for said spherical member.

FRED H. PETTIT. 

